Beaches such as those in Thanh Khe, Lien Chieu and Son Tra districts were among the stretches of coastline affected.

The head of Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang Beaches Management Department Nguyen Duc Vu said the garbage washed up on about 15 kilometers of the coastline near Da Nang city. Most of the garbage was plastic waste but rotten fish and other waste items were also found on beaches.

While municipal workers and residents worked together to clean the beaches, sea waves continued to bring in more waste.

Huynh Van Thang, an irrigation expert, said the tremendous amount of rubbish stuck in sewers slows drainage, which causes floods every time there is heavy rainfall. Huynh added that the sewer system was old and not capable of dealing with the city’s rapid urbanization.

So far 10 tons of trash have been collected on Tho Quang and My Khe beaches in just two days. An official has said that this only accounts for one-third of the total waste swept ashore.